Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 Nerfs & Buffs (March 2026) Complete Hero Guide

Updated by Tanvi Mukherjee
February 12, 2026
Gaming

The Marvel Rivals meta is about to undergo a massive transformation with the arrival of Season 6.5 on February 13, 2026. NetEase Games has unleashed a comprehensive balance patch that affects 17 different heroes across all three roles, alongside significant Team-Up Ability changes that will reshape strategic team compositions. Whether you’re a competitive player climbing the ranks or a casual enthusiast looking to understand the shifting landscape, this complete guide breaks down every adjustment coming to the game.

Quick Overview: Season 6.5 Balance Changes

Hero Category	Buffed Heroes	Nerfed Heroes	Major Impact
Vanguards	Rogue, Venom	Doctor Strange, Thor	Tank meta rebalancing
Duelists	Deadpool, Squirrel Girl, Star-Lord, Storm, The Punisher, Wolverine	Moon Knight, Phoenix, Psylocke	DPS landscape overhaul
Strategists	Adam Warlock, Ultron	Invisible Woman, Loki	Support role adjustments

Vanguard Changes: Tank Meta Reshaped

Rogue Buffs – Power Absorption Enhanced

Rogue receives significant buffs that increase her threat potential and survivability:

Defensive Stance absorbed Damage energy conversion rate increased from 0.27 to 0.35 (29.6% increase)
Fatal Attraction cooldown reduced from 17s to 14s (17.6% reduction)

These changes make Rogue a much more aggressive Vanguard option, allowing her to absorb more damage and engage more frequently. The increased energy conversion means she’ll build up her ultimate faster while taking hits, and the reduced cooldown on Fatal Attraction provides more consistent crowd control.

Venom Buffs – Lethal Protector Gets Tougher

Venom receives survivability improvements that make him even harder to eliminate:

Base health increased from 650 to 675
Feast of the Abyss (Ultimate Ability) Damage-to-Bonus-Health conversion increased from 1 to 1.3 (30% increase)

These changes solidify Venom’s position as one of the tankiest Vanguards. The health increase provides more buffer in team fights, while the improved ultimate conversion means he can generate even more bonus health during his Feast of the Abyss, making him nearly unstoppable when properly timed.

Doctor Strange Nerfs – Magical Defenses Weakened

The Sorcerer Supreme faces a slight nerf to his defensive capabilities:

Shield of the Seraphim Shield Value recovery speed reduced from 70/s to 60/s (14.3% reduction)

This nerf requires Doctor Strange players to be more strategic with their shield usage. The slower recovery rate means he can’t rely on constant shield regeneration and must time his defensive abilities more carefully.

Thor Nerfs – God of Thunder’s Durability Reduced

Thor receives adjustments that tone down his extra survivability:

Hammer Throw New Effect: Now grants 50 Bonus Health (only triggers once per throw, even if hitting multiple enemies)
Storm Surge Bonus Health reduced from 75 to 50 (33.3% reduction)

These changes significantly impact Thor’s sustain in prolonged fights. The reduced Bonus Health from Storm Surge means he’ll be more vulnerable during team engagements, requiring better positioning and timing from Thor players.

Duelist Changes: DPS Landscape Overhauled

Deadpool Buffs – Merc with a Mouth Gets Harder to Kill

Deadpool receives healing improvements that increase his survivability:

Pop Quiz! (Ultimate Ability) Healing Amount increased from 30 to 35 (16.7% increase) and from 60 to 70 upon passing the challenge (16.7% increase)

These buffs make Deadpool’s ultimate more rewarding and provide better sustain during team fights. The increased healing means he can be more aggressive when his ultimate is available, knowing he has better recovery options.

Squirrel Girl Buffs – Speed Boost for the Squirrel

Doreen Green receives a significant mobility improvement:

Squirrel Blockade projectile speed (when unleashing without charge) increased from 20m/s to 30m/s (50% increase)

This massive speed increase makes Squirrel Girl’s ability much more reliable at range and harder to dodge. The faster projectiles mean she can apply pressure more effectively and secure kills that might have previously escaped.

Star-Lord Buffs – Legendary Moments Made Easier

Peter Quill receives a cost reduction for his ultimate ability:

Galactic Legend (Ultimate Ability) energy cost reduced from 3400 to 3100 (8.8% reduction)

This change allows Star-Lord players to use their ultimate more frequently, providing more opportunities for game-changing plays. The reduced cost means he can build up to his ultimate faster in team fights.

Storm Buffs – Weather Control Enhanced

Ororo Munroe receives comprehensive buffs that improve her utility and damage output:

Weather Control – Tornado New Effect: Using Wind Blade and Bolt Rush under this aura now grants Storm Bonus Health (25% conversion, max 75 Bonus Health)
Weather Control – Thunder New Effect: Wind Blade hits reduce Bolt Rush cooldown by 0.5s (once per cast)
Bolt Rush spell field range radius increased from 1m to 1.5m (50% increase)
Thunder & Lightning New Effect: Ally buffs decay over 2s after leaving aura instead of vanishing instantly
Thunder Damage Boost for allies reduced from 12% to 8% (33.3% reduction)
Weather Control animation end lag reduced

These changes significantly improve Storm’s versatility and team utility. The new Bonus Health generation provides survivability, the cooldown reduction creates more combo potential, and the increased range makes her abilities more reliable. While the ally damage boost was reduced, the overall changes make Storm a more well-rounded character.

The Punisher Buffs – Ultimate Justice Delivered Faster

Frank Castle receives a cost reduction for his ultimate:

Final Judgement (Ultimate Ability) energy cost reduced from 3700 to 3400 (8.1% reduction)

This buff allows The Punisher to access his ultimate more frequently, providing more opportunities for area denial and team fight impact.

Wolverine Buffs – Rage Unleashed Quicker

Logan receives a significant cost reduction for his ultimate:

Last Stand (Ultimate Ability) energy cost reduced from 3400 to 2800 (17.6% reduction)

This substantial reduction means Wolverine can access his ultimate much more frequently, dramatically increasing his team fight presence and carry potential.

Moon Knight Nerfs – Fists of Khonshu Weakened

Marc Spector receives a survivability reduction:

Moon Blade Bonus Max Health reduced from 100 to 75 (25% reduction)

This nerf makes Moon Knight more vulnerable in extended engagements, requiring more careful positioning and timing from players.

Phoenix Nerfs – Cosmic Power Diminished

Jean Grey faces health reduction:

Base health reduced from 275 to 250 (9.1% reduction)

This change makes Phoenix more fragile, especially in the early game, requiring better positioning and awareness to avoid being quickly eliminated.

Psylocke Nerfs – Psychic Blade Dulled

Betsy Braddock receives damage reductions:

Psionic Crossbow Damage Falloff: Maximum Damage Falloff at 30m adjusted from 60% to 70%
Dance of the Butterfly (Ultimate Ability) single-hit Damage reduced from 170 to 160 (5.9% reduction)

These nerfs reduce Psylocke’s effectiveness at range and slightly decrease her ultimate burst damage, requiring more precise positioning and timing from players.

Strategist Changes: Support Role Rebalanced

Adam Warlock Buffs – Cosmic Evolution

Adam receives significant mobility and combat improvements:

New Ability: Can now enter flight mode at 10m/s for up to 4s at full energy; energy fully recharges from 0 to max in 15s
Soul Bond New Effect: Can now hover and attack during the ability’s duration

These changes dramatically improve Adam Warlock’s mobility and combat effectiveness. The new flight ability provides excellent positioning options, and the ability to attack while hovering makes him much more versatile in team fights.

Ultron Buffs – Mechanical Coverage Expanded

The synthetic android receives range improvements:

Imperative: Patch drone detach range increased from 30m to 35m (16.7% increase)

This buff expands Ultron’s support coverage, allowing him to provide healing and support from safer positions and cover more area in team fights.

Invisible Woman Nerfs – Control Less Relentless

Sue Storm receives a cooldown increase:

Force Physics cooldown increased from 8s to 10s (25% reduction in frequency)

This nerf reduces Invisible Woman’s control frequency, requiring more strategic use of her abilities and creating more windows for opponents to play around her control.

Loki Nerfs – Trickster’s Healing Reduced

The God of Mischief receives a charge reduction:

Mystical Missile charges reduced from 12 to 10 (16.7% reduction)

This nerf reduces Loki’s sustained healing output, requiring more efficient use of his abilities and better resource management from players.

Team-Up Ability Changes: Strategic Synergies Reshaped

New Team-Up: Psionic Mayhem

Invisible Woman – Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange unlocks the new Psionic Vortex ability
Creates powerful psionic area control potential

Adjusted Team-Ups

Mr. Pool’s Interdimensional Toy Box (Deadpool – Jeff the Land Shark/Elsa Bloodstone)

Elsa Bloodstone gains Bloodstone’s Boombox Bullets ability
Adds new ranged damage options to the team-up

Gamma Charge (Hulk – Black Panther/The Thing)

The Thing gains Gamma Gauntlets ability through team-up with Hulk
Provides new melee damage potential

Rocket Network (Rocket Raccoon – Star-Lord/Mister Fantastic)

Mister Fantastic unlocks Fantastic Amplifier ability through team-up with Rocket Raccoon
Adds new utility and amplification options

Removed Team-Up

Fantastic Four (Invisible Woman – Human Torch/Mister Fantastic/The Thing)

The iconic Fantastic Four Team-Up ability has been removed
Significant meta impact on team compositions featuring these heroes

Meta Impact Analysis

Rising Meta Picks

Based on these changes, several heroes are positioned to rise in the meta:

Adam Warlock – The new flight ability dramatically improves his positioning and survivability
Wolverine – The massive ultimate cost reduction makes him a much more consistent threat
Storm – Comprehensive buffs improve her team utility and self-sustain
Venom – Increased tankiness makes him even more reliable as a frontline anchor

Falling Meta Picks

These heroes may see reduced play rates:

Moon Knight – Reduced survivability makes him more vulnerable in team fights
Doctor Strange – Slower shield recovery requires more careful play
Phoenix – Health reduction makes her more fragile, especially against burst damage
Invisible Woman – Increased cooldowns reduce her control frequency

Team Composition Shifts

The Team-Up Ability changes will significantly impact team building:

The removal of Fantastic Four synergy forces teams to find new combinations
New Psionic Mayhem team-up creates powerful control combinations
Enhanced team-ups for The Thing and Mister Fantastic provide new strategic options

Competitive Impact

Rank Climbing Considerations

For competitive players, these changes create new opportunities:

Adam Warlock players should focus on mastering the new flight mechanics for positional advantage
Wolverine becomes a much stronger pick for solo queue due to more frequent ultimate access
Storm players should experiment with the new Bonus Health generation for increased survivability
Venom remains a solid pick for players seeking reliable tank performance

Counter-Pick Strategies

Understanding these changes helps with counter-picking:

Against buffed heroes like Wolverine and Storm, consider heroes with burst damage
Moon Knight and Phoenix may be easier targets due to reduced survivability
Doctor Strange players will be more vulnerable during shield recovery periods

Community Reactions

The community response to these changes has been mixed:

Positive Reactions:

Adam Warlock’s flight ability has been well-received as a exciting gameplay addition
Wolverine’s ultimate cost reduction is seen as addressing a long-standing issue
Storm’s comprehensive buffs are appreciated by her dedicated player base

Concerns Raised:

Some players feel the Fantastic Four team-up removal is too drastic
Moon Knight and Phoenix nerfs may push these heroes out of the meta
Doctor Strange players are concerned about the shield recovery reduction

Future Implications

These changes set the stage for Season 7 and beyond:

The balance team appears focused on reducing ultimate costs across multiple heroes
Team-Up abilities continue to be a major focus for meta-shifting changes
Mobility enhancements (like Adam Warlock’s flight) may become more common

Pro Tips for Adapting to 6.5

For Tank Players:

Rogue players should be more aggressive with their increased energy conversion
Venom can play more confidently with increased health and ultimate conversion
Doctor Strange players need to be more mindful of shield timing

For DPS Players:

Wolverine players should look for ultimate opportunities more frequently
Storm players should experiment with the new Bonus Health mechanics
Moon Knight players need to be more cautious with reduced survivability

For Support Players:

Adam Warlock players should practice flight mechanics for positional advantage
Ultron players can position more safely with increased range
Loki players need to be more efficient with reduced charges

FAQ

When does Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 launch?

Season 6.5 launches on February 13, 2026, with all balance changes going live immediately upon release.

Which hero received the biggest buff in Season 6.5?

Wolverine arguably received the most significant buff in Season 6.5, as his ultimate ability cost was reduced by 17.6%, dropping from 3400 to 2800 energy.

Was the Fantastic Four team-up completely removed?

Yes, the iconic Fantastic Four Team-Up ability has been completely removed from the game in Season 6.5.

How many heroes were affected by the Season 6.5 changes?

A total of 17 heroes received balance updates across all three roles: Vanguards, Duelists, and Strategists.

What new abilities were introduced in Season 6.5?

Adam Warlock gained a new flight ability, and the Psionic Mayhem team-up between Invisible Woman and Doctor Strange introduces the new Psionic Vortex ability.

Should I change my main character due to these changes?

Although some heroes received nerfs, most of the adjustments are balance tweaks rather than full reworks. It’s worth experimenting with newly buffed characters, but you don’t need to switch mains unless the changes significantly affect your preferred playstyle.

Conclusion

Marvel Rivals Season 6.5 brings some of the most significant balance changes the game has seen, affecting 17 heroes and multiple Team-Up abilities. The patch clearly aims to shake up the meta, with particular focus on reducing ultimate costs, enhancing mobility options, and rebalancing team-up synergies.

For players looking to adapt quickly, focus on the buffed heroes like Adam Warlock, Wolverine, and Storm, while being prepared to adjust your playstyle for the nerfed characters. The removal of the Fantastic Four team-up will force strategic rethinking, while new team-up combinations create exciting possibilities for creative team compositions.

As always, the meta will continue to evolve as players discover new strategies and combinations. Stay flexible, keep experimenting, and most importantly, enjoy the refreshed gameplay that Season 6.5 brings to Marvel Rivals!